Time Apart
by FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: (Working title) With Sofia in danger, Cedric is willing to go to any length to protect her, even if his actions dramatically alter both their fates, and the course of history. Rating may change.
1. Erklärungsnot

Just a little side project that popped into my head, and has been super fun to write. Not a one-shot, but I don't expect this to get super long, either. As always, first chapter is on the short side.

* * *

She awoke with a start, blinking her eyes rapidly in a futile attempt to adjust her vision to the complete darkness that surrounded her as the details of her dream faded away to nothing. With a shaky hand, she reached out into the void, fingers fumbling until they found the delicate, beaded chain of her bedside lamp. With a tug, the bulb lit, allowing her to see the details of her bedroom, the same one she'd slept in since the day she was born, and yet it felt like some place completely foreign.

Rolling onto her side, she stared at the empty half of her bed, unable to explain the sadness that overtook her at the sight, much less quell the overwhelming emotion. At the tender age of fifteen, still years away from adulthood, she certainly had never shared a bed with anyone, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that someone _should_ be there.

Her stomach churned again, an urgent reminder of why she woke so suddenly in the first place, and she leapt out of bed, dashing down the hallway to empty its meager contents into the cold porcelain bowl that awaited her in the bathroom. Hands appeared seemingly out of nowhere, holding her loose russet locks away from her face so she wouldn't dirty them.

"Not again, Sofia?" Her mother cooed, and the teenager reached up to close the lid, laying her cheek against the cool surface as she whimpered miserably, silently begging the woman to fix a problem she was old enough to know that nothing but time could solve. "That's the sixth time this week, maybe we should ring the doctor." Sofia shook her head as firmly as she could muster, which barely counted as movement at all.

"No... Grace had the flu this week, too. It'll-" Her stomach churned again, and she lifted her head, throwing the lid open for a repeat of the episode.

"Okay, we'll wait a little longer, but if you're not better in a few days, I'm making an appointment." Green eyes sparkled down at Sofia with concern as she gazed thankfully at her mother's face, too physically drained to rise from her spot on the checkerboard tiled floor. _Were her eyes always green?_ Sofia tried to remember as her heavy eyelids slipped shut, only to open again when Margaret shook her awake, insisting she return to her bed if she was finished being sick for the moment.

...

"Merlin, thank the gods!" Cedric cried out, carrying his precious bundle into the older Sorcerer's home. "You have to help us!"

"Course I will. What's the matter with her?" Merlin gestured for Cedric to follow him, leading them into his workshop and magically clearing a large table so the unconscious princess could be laid on the surface.

"Nothing a good rest won't fix. I-I..." Cedric drew in a deep breath, running shaking hands through his silver bangs. "I've wiped her memories and put her under a short-term sleeping spell." He confessed, avoiding the other man's accusing eyes.

"Why?" Merlin demanded, but Cedric shook his head, refusing to answer the question.

"There's no time. I need you to send her forward. Give her a new life, a new family... false memories, just- just whatever it takes. Make sure she's cared for, she shouldn't be alone, understand?" He gripped his long time friend by the shoulder, imploring him to do what was being asked with no further explanation, a tall order, he was already aware.

"Forward? You don't mean-" But Cedric was in no mood for his feigned ignorance.

"Don't bullshit me, not right now. I know you're capable of chronomancy, and that you've done it before." He stared defiantly at Merlin, almost daring him to continue pretending.

"Let me get this straight: You want me to use forbidden magic to help you commit treason?" He questioned, watching slack-jawed as Cedric nodded, letting out a bitter chuckle at how absurd the request sounded when stated that way.

"That, my friend, is exactly what I want." He had nothing else to offer. It wouldn't be long until the Royal Guards tracked him to the fortess, and he needed to make sure that both he and Sofia were long gone by the time they arrived, for Merlin's sake as well as their own. "I'm begging you." Cedric whispered, turning his eyes back to the girl. He leaned forward, taking one of her limp hands into his and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

To his surprise, Merlin lifted his wand, lips moving in a silent chant as he started to cast the spell. For a second, blue light engulfed both the princess and the old man. His eyes shot wide open, and he stopped the magic before it had truly begun.

"Cedric, there's something you need to know..." Back at the entrance, there was a forceful pounding at the door, so loud that it could be heard from even this distance, and Cedric produced his own wand.

"Later. I'll be back as soon as I can. I intend to join her, after all." With that, he transported himself back to Enchancia without giving Merlin another chance to speak. Back inside his tower, he collapsed to the floor, exhausted and completely miserable.


	2. Hiraeth

Author's note: I promise that not every single Sofia scene will be like this. Just the first few...

* * *

Sofia hastily threw together her lunch, scolding herself for sleeping in on her first day back to school, as her mother carried her baby brother into the kitchen.

"You're sure you'll be okay? I can call you out for another day, if you need me to." Margaret asked, setting the small boy in his highchair. Sofia managed a slight smile, though her stomach was still in knots.

"Yes, mom. I'll be fine." It couldn't be further from the truth, but she didn't want to worry her parents any more than she already had, and she really couldn't afford to miss even more classes.

"At least get your dad to drive you." Sofia nodded that she would, shoving the lunchbox into her backpack and hurrying outside.

"Your mother's really worried about you, you know." Richard told her, glancing over at Sofia while waiting for the red light to change. "You should let her make an appointment, just to put her mind at ease."

"I'll think about it." Sofia mumbled, staring out her window. The car started up again, and her mind wandered as she watched the houses and trees fly by outside the tinted glass.

...

"Hiraeth." Grace announced, sitting beside her at the lunch table. Sofia glanced up at her in surprise, sure she'd misheard her new friend because her mind had been wandering again. "It's a welsh word that means 'homesick for a place that doesn't exist'. Isn't that exactly what you were describing on the phone yesterday?"

Sofia chewed her lip, trying to decide whether the definition fit the sensation she kept feeling.

"Sort of. Is there a word for the same thing, but with a person?" When the other girl didn't seem to grasp her meaning, Sofia elaborated. "Like you miss a person who doesn't exist, maybe even feel like you love someone that you've never met." Grace shrugged her slender shoulders, using the bottom of her green polo shirt, part of their school uniform, to grasp the lid of her milk so she could open it.

"Dunno. I only knew that word because I looked it up on the internet." She confessed, leaving Sofia to dwell on these indescribable new feelings. "Maybe it's just puberty." She teased, poking Sofia in her already sensitive stomach.

"Don't joke." The redhead warned, though she stuck her tongue out at Grace. "I haven't... you know, 'started' yet, and from what I hear I am in no hurry to." She whispered, not wanting such an embarrassing topic to be overheard.

"But your stomach hurts, right? Maybe you didn't catch my flu..." Grace teased, unwilling to let the uncomfortable subject drop. "You might be about to start at any minute."

"Can we talk about something else? _Anything_ else?" Sofia pleaded, picking the crust off of her sandwich, unable to drum up an appetite to actually eat it.

"Like boys?" Sofia rolled her eyes, almost as reluctant to discuss that matter. "Girls?" Grace tried again, and Sofia shook her head.

"That's not it. Boys as a whole are fine. I'm just not particularly interested in any of them." She tried to explain, though she knew that as lame as it sounded in her head, it must sound even moreso to the boy-crazy teen sitting next to her. A strong smell from Grace's lunch hit her, sending shockwaves through her body, and she stood, making a mad dash for the nearest rest room without even excusing herself first.

"Okay, I was wrong. Clearly you did catch the flu, sorry." Grace called through the stall door a few minutes later. Sofia unlatched the lock, letting the thin blonde slip inside with her. "We should go to the infirmary, Sofia."

"No, my mom's worried enough as it is, and Jake will be taking his nap. I can't ask her to wake him up just to come get me." Sofia slid to the floor, too sick to care how gross it must be, and leaned her head against the stall. "Keep it a secret?"

"Of course." Grace agreed, offering a hand to help Sofia back to her feet, a gesture the shorter girl happily accepted.

...

Urgent knocking at his door shook Cedric awake, though it took his sleep addled brain a few extra seconds to comprehend that he was still on the hard stone floor of his workshop, and that Sofia was safe. If his instructions were followed properly, which he was confident that they were, he could even be sure that the princess would be loved and taken care of should anything unfortunate prevent him from joining her.

He opened his mouth to call out to the person on the other side of his threshold, but they had no intention of waiting for an invitation. The door flung open, the sound of wood slamming against the wall echoing through the workshop as King Roland marched inside. Cedric smirked, surprised it took him until after dawn to storm the place.

"Cedric, what have you done?" He demanded, glowering down at the sorcerer.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're referring to." He tried, struggling to his feet, but Roland was in no mood for his obvious lie.

"Where did you hide Sofia?" He pressed, and Cedric had to fight hard to hide the fact that the king still intimidated him after all this time. _You won't find her, I've seen to that._ Cedric shook his head, aware that the pretense was pointless, but also that withholding the information was the only way to keep her safe, consequences be damned.

"Maybe she ran away?" He suggested. Roland grabbed the collar of his tunic roughly, and Cedric fought to keep his eyes open, sure he was about to get punched but too stubborn to flinch when it happened. The king released him suddenly, beginning to pace the floor beside the work table.

"You've damned the entire kingdom. You know that, right?" He didn't bother to look to Cedric for an answer to the question. "Her marriage was the only thing moving our peace talks forward, it was the buttress of the entire negotiation. Without Sofia, we're lost."

"You wanted to marry your only surviving daughter to a brute!" Cedric snapped, unable to hold back his anger. Roland shot him a pained look, sinking into the chair beside Cedric's desk, completely defeated by one simple statement.

"Believe me, I know." He breathed, rubbing his face in aggravation. "And I know what sort of position that put you in - better than you think I do." Cedric opened his mouth to respond. To defend himself, perhaps. Words failed him, so he quickly shut it again.

"How could you? You helped raise her, for gods' sakes." And there it was, the main reason he had kept their relationship a secret for all those months, even though Sofia wanted nothing more than to walk through the gardens arm-in-arm, to be seen dancing together at all the social events, to so much as hold hands in public. All those simple acts he'd felt it necessary to deny her, and now she was gone and it turned out the king had known all along. "You're old enough to be her father."

"I assure you, it was never my intention to..." No, it didn't matter what his intentions were. What was done could never be undone, and no feeble excuses could change what happened even if he wanted to, which quite frankly he didn't. "I never harmed her."

"No, you just signed the death sentence of every man, woman, and child in Enchancia rather than hand her over." Roland's words may have been harsh, but his demeanor softened as he regarded the sorcerer carefully. "I would never accuse you of hurting Sofia, but I can't accept what happened between you, and I have to insist that you tell me where she is."

"The safest place to hide something is one even the hider cannot find." Roland nodded sadly, rising out of the seat.

"When I come back, it will be with the Royal Guard." He announced, heading for the tower door. "I'm sorry that it has to be like this, but you've left me no choice."

"I could have gone with her, but I stayed to help fight. If we can win this, we can bring her back!" Cedric didn't really hope to persuade him, but he had to try. When the king disappeared down the stone stairs, he took one last look around his tower, retrieved his wand case, and transported himself back to Merlin's fortress.


	3. Zettai ryōiki

**Author's Note:** Not sure if anyone's noticed, but there is a theme to the chapter names... ;) Also, thanks Mrshortman for making me totally second guess this chapter. :P I was tempted to rewrite the whole story to keep Cedric in the past longer, if it wouldn't have required scrapping an upcoming chapter that is my favourite one out of the whole story so far. The split-screen chapters will continue even after the timelines merge, mostly because Cedric's 'from the past' perspective is fun, but also since he remembers things and Sofia doesn't, so some of it has to be told by him to make any sense.

* * *

Margaret skimmed over the permission slip Sofia presented her with, pausing every few seconds to frown up at her daughter.

"Really, Sofia... Let me call you out on Friday. You can't participate in Track and Field day, you just got over being sick." Her mother insisted, trying to hand the paper back. Truthfully, Sofia wasn't over being sick at all, if anything she was getting worse. She'd simply grown so tired of everyone treating her like she was a delicate flower, apt to wither away at a moment's notice, that she was now making it a point to hide her symptoms.

"Please, mom. It's a really big deal, and if I don't participate, my whole class will hate me for it." Sofia begged, though she also wanted to join in so she could return to her normal life.

"If you feel anything less than 100%..." Her mother sighed, fetching a pen from the cup on her desk and scribbling her signature on the dotted line.

"I know, I know. I'll go straight to the infirmary, I promise." She snatched the form off of the table, dashing out the side door to avoid being late again.

...

"Ugh, I hate biology!" Grace complained, tossing her backpack to the floor beneath their lab table as she joined Sofia. The bell rang and the teacher called the classroom to order, effectively preventing further discussion on the matter. Sofia paid close attention, fascinated with the information on genetics being presented.

"Which brings us to today's lab. You are going to take samples and determine your blood type." Sofia let out a barely audible squeak, earning an annoyed groan from the girl beside her.

"I don't know how you can get so excited about this." She whined, pricking her finger for the required sample.

"Are you kidding? It's so amazing, finding out all about our DNA, what makes us who we are, how our family plays a part in shaping that." She let out a wistful sigh, squeezing her finger to produce a drop of blood.

"I think it's gross." Grace muttered under her breath as the teacher made his rounds, inspecting the pupils' work.

"Sofia... You have a very rare blood type." Mr Michaels mused, retrieving her slide to take a closer look. "The rarest, in fact. When you're older, you should consider donating. I've heard they have trouble getting enough in times of crisis." Sofia and Grace quickly exchanged glances.

"I'll keep it in mind." Sofia smiled up at the teacher before he continued past them.

"Psst..." Grace nudged her friend, leaning in to whisper without being heard by anyone else. "You know, Mr Michaels is kind of a hottie..." Sofia furrowed her eyebrows, sneaking a peek at the man in question. He was attractive, sure, but she still didn't really feel anything out of the ordinary while looking at him. Besides, he was an adult, and it wouldn't be appropriate to think of him in that way.

"Just give it up." She urged Grace, returning to her work.

"Girl, you are going to die a virgin." The blonde teased, making Sofia blush.

...

Cedric reappeared within the walls of Merlin's workshop and began to search the building for the aging sorcerer. He found him in the library, resting on a large sofa, and though he was loathe to disturb him, he once again found himself in need of the man's help.

"Merlin..." He shook his friend awake, ignoring the stream of confused rambling that erupted as a result.

"Cedric, I didn't expect you back so soon." Merlin mumbled groggily, shifting to a sitting position and offering the spot beside him.

"Clearly. Though honestly, neither did I." Cedric replied, dropping onto the cushion. "Something's come up, and I need you to take me forward earlier than expected."

Merlin fiddled with the end of his long beard, struggling to tell his friend something, though what that was, Cedric hadn't the slightest clue, and was too spent to worry about it.

"I can't take you back to the exact time where I dropped her off, but I'll get you as close as I can." Merlin explained, spreading his hands helplessly. "But there are some issues we really should discuss before we go."

"I keep telling you, there isn't time." Cedric urged, springing back to his feet. "The guards are probably storming my tower as we speak. Three guesses which places they'll check next. Just... Just get me to Sofia, and we can figure out the rest later." Merlin inspected him hesitantly, and Cedric had to wonder if he understood how dire the situation really was.

"Alright, but at least listen to this one thin-" Loud shouting and pounding filled the fortress as the guards rammed the door and spilled into the lower level. Cedric gave what he hoped was his best 'I told you so' look as Merlin gave up on any sort of discussion and instead brought out his wand, enveloping the pair of sorcerers in the same blue glow as the night before.

...

"Where is she?" Cedric demanded as soon as he adjusted to being solid matter again, struggling to his feet despite the protests of his wobbling legs.

"I suspect she'll be in school about now." Merlin answered, turning in a slow circle to get his bearings. "A couple of blocks that way." Not waiting for the older sorcerer to say anything else, Cedric dashed off in the indicated direction, the only thing on his mind getting to Sofia and confirming her safety. Everything else could be figured out later, once he'd seen with his own two eyes that she was fine.

A fence prohibited him from entering the school yard, and Cedric groaned in irritation, kicking the chain link obstacle with an uttered curse. _Why are the pupils locked up? This looks more like a workhouse than a school._ He pondered the large red brick structure, complete with iron grates on every window, that loomed behind the rusted metal fence, recalling how often he'd simply waltzed into Sofia's schools over the years, and how much more elegant those places had been.

From somewhere in the building's core, a series of chimes rang, and shortly after, a rambunctious crowd of pupils came spilling out of a set of black double doors, the boys in charcoal dress slacks and the girls in what appeared to be kilts, but everyone in the same hunter green shirts.

Finding Sofia in the crowd required little effort, considering how familiar he was with the sight of her. As he looked her over, he nearly gasped at the expanse of milky thigh visible between the pleats of her short tartan skirt and the wide white band of socks that covered her knees. _I've seen far more of her than that._ He tried to remind himself, but it was of little use. That had been an intimate, private affair, occurring in the dim glow of moonlight and torch flame, this was outside in broad daylight, surrounded by other people.

With no recollection of him, Sofia might very well confuse him for a lecher, and Cedric definitely didn't want that, so he tore his eyes away for her, leaving the school building behind to wander the neighborhood while trying to decide what to do next. Obviously, restoring her memories was a high priority, but that would have to wait until he could somehow be certain that she wouldn't try to return to their own time and accept the fate that had been thrust upon her in an effort to save her kingdom, an act that would be every bit as stupid as it was brave.

In the meantime, what he required was a good excuse to stay near Sofia so he could make sure nothing went wrong.


	4. Dépaysement

"I'm home!" Sofia called out as she walked through the side door of the house, hanging her backpack on one of the pegs on the wall beside her.

"Sofia, you're just in time!" Her mother greeted her by shoving her baby brother into Sofia's arms, flashing an apologetic smile as she let go of the toddler. "I have to make a last minute trip to the grocery store, and you know how Jake gets carsick." Sofia sighed, cradling her brother close while her mom grabbed her purse and rushed out of the house.

"What should we do, Jake?" She asked outloud, even though he couldn't talk yet. Jake snuggled into her shoulder, but when he began rooting around in search of milk, she chuckled softly and held him at arms length. "You won't find any of _that_. Maybe mom left you a bottle..."

Sofia strapped Jake into his highchair, glad he was finally old enough to sit in it instead of being plunked into the playpen, where he would scream until someone rescued him. Once he was secure, she dug through the fridge until she found some thawed milk for him.

"You're old enough to just drink it cold, aren't you, Jakey?" She mumbled, pouring it into one of the clean bottles on the counter. He signed 'milk' as she approached, then grinned at her appreciatively while he drank.

 _ring, ring_

Sofia crossed the kitchen and peeked at the back of the cordless wall phone, recognizing the number as Grace's, though her name still wasn't programmed into the phone.

"Hello?" She answered, taking the reciever with her so she could sit near her brother while she talked.

"Sofia? I tried to text you, but you didn't answer.." Grace began, clearly thinking Sofia's number went to a cell phone.

"That's because it's a house phone." She pointed out. Everyone her age seemed to have their own phone, and she saw them sneaking the devices during break periods, but she honestly didn't see the appeal.

"Are you kidding? I swear, you and your folks are like something straight out of those old '50s sitcoms my grandma watches." Grace teased her, but Sofia knew it wasn't meant in a bad way.

"So what were you texting about?" She wiped Jake's face, which he'd somehow managed to completely cover with milk, as she prodded her friend to get to the point.

"Oh, right... I was asking if you could hang out, maybe go see a movie?" Sofia shook her head, forgetting for a moment that Grace couldn't see her through the phone.

"I'm on babysitting duty." She explained apologetically, tucking the receiver between her shoulder and elbow so she could lift Jake from his seat. "I don't know how long it'll take."

"Eww, not again!" Grace complained, unintentionally offending Sofia slightly. "This is why I'm glad to be an only child. Alright... give me a call when you're done playing 'mommy'." Sofia promised that she would and hung up the phone.

Jake's eyes fluttered open and closed as Sofia paced the kitchen to bounce him to sleep, staring down at his sweet face and wondering how Grace, or anyone else, could have such a strong distaste for babies.

"Don't listen to her, I think you're amazing." Sofia whispered as he finally drifted off. She walked with him a little longer for good measure, then took him upstairs to tuck him into his cot.

Feeling unusually run down, which she chalked up to still being ill with the flu, Sofia sank into the cushioned rocker in the corner of the room and drifted off to sleep.

...

"A job?" Merlin mumbled, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. Cedric nodded, taking a sip of the coffee the older sorcerer had brewed for him. His eyes scanned the inside of the meager studio flat, which seemed far too lived in to be a recent hire, though he hadn't found an opportunity to ask Merlin about it just yet.

"I used to be a substitute at Royal Prep. Maybe something of that nature." Cedric explained, picking up on something akin to hesitance on the older man's behalf.

"It's not that simple here. Teachers require degrees, plus a background check, which you surely couldn't pass. You forget, Cedric, that as far as records are concerned, you don't exist." Cedric was about to press for more details, but the elder man held his finger up, then crossed the room to sit at a desk which held a small, silver box. "That's not to say it's completely impossible, though. We just have to look for the right sort of work..." He opened a hinged lid on the box, and a window inside began to glow. Cedric cocked his head, trying to deduce what manner of sorcery the man was using to make what looked to be book pages appear in the lit window.

"What the devil are you doing?" He finally asked, joining Merlin at the desk to get a better view. The old man chuckled, shooting Cedric a wry smile before returning to his spell.

"I forgot. You've no idea what a computer is." He shook his head, gesturing to the box in question. "We'll use this to see if there's any way to get you into Sofia's school. I make no promises, though... these days they're very cautious about who can work with children." Cedric crossed his arms, still watching the pages.

"She's hardly a child, you know. She would be presented in about a week, under normal circumstances." He shouldn't raise the issue, he knew. Their relationship was a complete secret, a stipulation he'd been the one to insist on. Nevertheless, it bothered him to hear her referred to as though she were still a little girl, even if his friend hadn't meant any harm by it. Merlin's fingers, which had been dancing across a tray of letters set into the bottom of the contraption, stilled as he glanced up to carefully examine Cedric.

"In your time, yes. But here she is considered very much a child, by everyone including herself. You would do well to remember that." Cedric frowned, letting the weight of his warning sink in. In what ways was a young woman on the verge of marrying age anything like a precocious youth, he couldn't imagine, but if that was how things were here, then he would have to be mindful of it no matter how ridiculous it sounded. He thought back to earlier, when he openly watched her in the school yard, and wondered if he hadn't already done something wrong.

"Here we are... a day labour position in the school." Merlin grinned victoriously, pointing to the 'computer'. "It's janitorial work, but it's much easier to get this sort of job without a proper identity." Cedric let out an offended huff, straightening up his shoulders proudly.

"That's servant work. I am a Royal Sorcerer, not a janitor." He argued, annoyed by such a suggestion. Janitors were the non-residential equivalent to scullery maids, and his status put him far above them.

"If you want a way into that school, then this is it." Merlin insisted firmly. "Besides, your tower was always immaculate, so I'm sure you can handle it."

"That was Sofia's doing." Cedric confessed, still sulking over the idea of accepting such a menial position.


	5. Saudade

Sofia filed into her homeroom with her classmates, claiming her assigned seat and opening her desk to pull out the materials she would require for the period. Her teacher, Ms Johnson, approached just as she was retrieving her arithmetic workbook.

"You missed the health check while you were absent, Sofia, so I'm going to send you down to the nurse." She informed the girl, who nodded and slipped back out of her desk, grabbing her backpack from the floor beneath and quietly exiting the classroom to make her way through the corridors.

Try as she might, she couldn't actually recall her way to the infirmary, despite attending the school for the last four years, so she had to rely on the occasional signs posted on the wall, plus trial and error, to find it. She announced herself to a receptionist seated behind a computer at the front desk, who directed her to wait on a bench outside until she was called.

"We appreciate you coming in on such sort notice." A voice caught her attention as a pair of men, a shorter blonde one in a suit and a taller dark-haired man, wearing khakis and a button-up that seemed to hang a bit too loosely from his narrow frame, passed a nearby intersection of the hallway. "Our last janitor left us high and dry, so we were starting to get desperate."

"Sofia?" The nurse, a rotund woman with a kindly face, peeked out from the infirmary and beckoned her back inside, drawing her attention away as the men disappeared from view. "In a way, you're lucky. Missing school means you can do your exam privately." She pointed out, leading her into a room filled with empty cots.

Inside, she was asked if she had her phys ed uniform in her bag, which she did, and left alone with instructions to switch to the shorts and remove her polo shirt. She complied and waited on one of the beds, wearing her favourite camisole and the petrol blue sweatshorts, for what felt like an unreasonably long amount of time.

She poked her head through the doorway to see the waiting room still empty, save for the first woman she'd spoken to.

"Need something, sweety?" The woman asked, peering at Sofia over her glasses, which sat low on her rounded nose.

"Can I use the washroom?" Sofia nearly whispered, unable to put it off any longer. She skirted through the doorway, crossing her arms nervously over her chest.

"We don't have one in here, but if you go out and take a left, there's one just down the hall." Sofia nodded that she understood, then dashed off.

...

 _Can't believe I'm stuck doing servant work._ Cedric groaned to himself, dipping his mop into the bucket before sliding it across the tiled floor. _Fifteen years of sorcery training... Thank the gods Goodwyn can't see me right now._ As he backed down the hallway, he struck against what he at first assumed to be a wall, until it let out a surprised cry. _No, it wouldn't be..._

He turned around slowly, finding himself face to face with a rather flustered looking young redhead.

"I... I'm sorry, sir." She mumbled, waving her hands in the air between them frantically. "Are you alright?"

He almost lost his cool, almost let slip that he'd been reminding her to watch where she was going repeatedly for the last seven years. Remembering that Sofia had no recollection of those events, or even of him, he held his tongue.

"I'm fine." He managed, just barely, to reassure her.

She took a step back, looking him over to confirm this. As she did, he got his first real look at her shocking attire. Her knee-breeches came nowhere near the area the name would suggest, instead ending nearly at the top of her thighs. Above that, she wore a waist length sky blue corset cover, despite her obvious lack of stays, with illustrations of toy bears and hearts printed on it. _'Here, she's considered a child.'_ Merlin's warning repeated in his head, accented by the sight of her covered in pictures of children's toys, no matter how tightly those clothes might cling to curves that were decidedly grown.

"That's not the uniform. Why are you dressed like that?" He couldn't not ask the question tumbling around in his mind.

 _Does she make it a habit of running around public in her underthings? If they think she's a child, why doesn't anyone insist she put some damned clothing on?_ Sofia crossed her arms across her chest, as if that somehow resolved the issue.

"I'm in the middle of a health check." She mumbled, her face blooming into a rather pleasing shade of red. Cedric gripped his mop so tightly that his knuckles turned white, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her, which he knew would be stupid for many, many reasons. "Ah, but... I really have to go. Sorry again!"

Taking no notice of the wet floor behind Cedric, she broke into a run, though she didn't make it more than a metre before her feet slipped. Without thinking, Cedric dropped the mop, sliding after her and landing hard between the princess and the floor, cushioning her fall. His arms wrapped around Sofia, cradling her to his chest as his breathing slowed, though his pulse seemed to grow more erratic by the second.

"I-I'm so sorry." Sofia blurted out again, partly muffled by the fabric of Cedric's uniform.

"Are you hurt?" Cedric questioned, reluctantly loosening his grip when she tried to pull away.

"I don't think so. You?" Cedric shook his head, trying to ignore the intensity in her jeweled eyes as she stared down at him. _I've always loved her eyes._ He forced the sentiment away, motioning for her to get up so he could stand. "I..." Sofia chewed her lip nervously, cutting off her sentence.

"What is it?" Cedric prodded, trying to hand her a rag from his cart so she could wipe mop water off of her legs. Sofia didn't accept it, instead glancing impatiently down the wet hall.

"I really need to go." It was barely audible, taking Cedric a minute to register what she'd said.

"Hold on. I'll walk you... so you don't fall again." He offered, even though he knew keeping his distance was important. Returning to his cart, he retrieved a 'wet floor' sign, placing it over the fall hazard before silently accompanying Sofia the rest of the way to wash room.

* * *

 **Author's note:** So, originally, Sofia didn't meet Cedric until track & field day, which means that writing this chapter forced me to rewrite the next 3! Oh well, I like it better this way, so...


	6. Kilig

**Author's note:** Short chapter, I know. But originally the last chapter and this one didn't even exist and we skipped right to track and field day, so really this is all bonus material. :P Don't know why I haven't posted this, yet, cuz it's been done for a while. I guess I was hoping to give it another draft, but really it doesn't need it, and I'm still busy trying to get the next chapter of Magpie to cooperate, so I haven't had a chance.

* * *

Finished with her business, Sofia washed her hands, then splashed some of the cool tap water on her face. _Get a grip, Sofia._ She scolded herself, facing her reflection in the mirror. The stranger she'd just run into in the hall had been handsome, with his piercing dark eyes and crooked grin. His hair, dyed silver in the front and hanging shaggy all over, seemed to call to her fingertips. To top everything off, he'd been so kind, saving her and then dropping everything he was doing to escort her so she wouldn't fall again.

It seemed the encounter had triggered in her the feelings everyone around her had been experiencing for quite a while now, and she had no idea how to handle it. When he held her to his chest, which she tried to remind herself was simply part of keeping her from getting hurt and held no deeper meaning, her heart hammered so hard against her ribcage that she was sure it was going to explode.

 _Is he still out there?_ She wondered, glancing quickly to the door. _Just my luck that this sort of thing happens when I'm desperate to use the wash room. How embarrassing!_

Gathering her courage, she tiptoed to the door and slowly pushed it open. The hallway was empty, with no sign of the man in any direction. Sofia wasn't really certain if she was relieved or disappointed by his absence. Deciding not to give the incident any more thought, she made her way back to the infirmary.

"Sorry for the wait." The nurse apologized as Sofia peeked into the back room with the cots. "It's just that I can't seem to find your records anywhere, and I was trying to figure out why."

"Weird." Sofia mumbled, chewing her lip nervously. The nurse waved her hand dismissively, smiling at the girl and urging her to come inside.

"Not really. Our computers are practically antiques, so they're not as reliable as they used to be." She reassured Sofia, who relaxed a little. "As for paper records, they're not kept very well, since everything is supposed to be on the network. They'll turn up, so for now I'll just start a new file with your exam."

The nurse carefully measured Sofia's height, then took her weight and measurements. "Hop up." She instructed, patting one of the cots, and Sofia did as she was told.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about? Any concerns you might have?" The nurse offered as she examined Sofia.

"I don't think so. I wasn't feeling well, which is why I missed the group health check, but I'm pretty much over it now." Sofia frowned as another slight nuisance entered her mind. "My... Um, my breasts are sore sometimes." She muttered, her voice nearly a whisper as she relayed the embarrassing information. The nurse glanced up at her for a moment, giving her a gentle smile.

"That's normal. They're growing, and some girls are more sensitive to it than others." She crossed the room to fetch a pamphlet, returning to hand it to Sofia. "Here, information on how to check them for problems. Do it once a month, but you shouldn't worry too much."

Sofia nodded, skimming the print out while the nurse tested her reflexes.

"Alright, my dear. You are fit as a fiddle, and ready to return to class." The nurse announced, and Sofia happily hopped down from the bed.

"That wasn't so bad." She grinned at the woman, not sure what she'd been expecting from the exam, but glad it hadn't been anything to fret over.

"I'll get out of here so you can get dressed."

Sofia stood in front of the full-length mirror that hung beside the door, taking mental inventory of her reflection. She was more petite than many of her classmates, especially Grace, who stood head and shoulders taller than her, and she wondered if her height made her seem more childish than she really was. Her burnt-copper curls were tucked up into a practical ponytail, and she never really bothered with makeup the way her peers did.

 _I wonder if he even really noticed me._ She pondered, reaching a hand up to tug the ponytail out so her hair could fall in spirals down her back. She frowned, still not entirely satisfied with the teenaged girl who stared back at her. _He probably saw nothing but a little girl. A clumsy one, too._

...

Cedric hurried away from the rest room as quickly as he dared, cursing his misfortune at having to interact so directly with the spelled princess before he intended to do so. She'd looked so amazing, maybe even better than the last time he'd seen her, and he could hardly bear being so close to her without being allowed to tell her all the ways he adored her. _Hello, you don't remember me but we were madly in love hundreds of years ago, and I'm still completely crazy about you._ Yeah, he could just imagine the sort of reaction that would get. For good measure he could even tell her that she was a princess and he'd probably doomed what remained of her family and kingdom by sending her to the future. Returning to his cart, he took up his mop again, actually grateful to have busywork to take his mind off of the encounter.

"You're doing great." Glancing up, he found the man who'd hired him standing and watching his work. "I have a request, and it's going to seem a bit odd, but hear me out..." Cedric leaned his mop against the wall and brushed his hands off on his work uniform, turning his full attention to the headmaster.

"Track and Field day is on Friday, and Class 4 is short a student for the obstacle course." Cedric's new boss eyed him, sizing him up carefully. "Normally, the gym teacher would fill the extra spot, but he's participating in another event at the same time."

"You want me to do it." Cedric surmised, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the ludicrous suggestion.

"You seem like you're in pretty good shape." He sighed when the compliment went unacknowledged. "Look, the truth is that I've already asked pretty much everyone else, and you would really be helping me out of a bind."

Reluctantly, Cedric nodded his confirmation, recognizing that he should probably do everything he could to get into the headmaster's good graces in order to keep his position in the school.

"Alright, just tell me what's expected of me." He conceded, internally hating his luck even more than earlier.

The headmaster gave him a verbal overview of the course, then hurried off, leaving Cedric to sulk while he worked. _As if being a janitor wasn't bad enough._


	7. Forelsket

This chapter dedicated to MrShortman, lol.

* * *

Sofia rose early in the morning, relieved to finally feel human again. She rushed downstairs, where she ate a large breakfast, thanks to the sudden return of her appetite. Then, she packed herself a lunch, kissed her mother on the cheek and ran out the side door, focused solely on track and field day. An entire school day outside in the bright sunshine instead of couped up in classes sounded rather appealing, and Sofia couldn't curtail her excitement at the prospect. A crowd of her fellow students was already forming in the expansive school yard as Sofia jogged past on her way to the main entrance.

"Sofia!" Grace called out as the redhead approached, waiting for her so they could enter the building together. "Why are you running already? Aren't you gonna get enough exercise?" Sofia giggled, shaking her head enthusiastically.

"I'm all better today, I feel like I might die if I keep still any longer!" She happily informed the blonde, wrapping her arms around her friend's shoulders.

"Well, at least one of us is in a good mood. I was gonna see if you wanted to skip, but I guess not." Sofia grabbed Grace's hand, dragging her through the building and out the side doors to join their classmates.

Announcements were made over the loud speaker, the echoing voice calling everyone participating in the morning relay race to gather at the track. Grace squeezed Sofia's hand before releasing it, wishing her good luck as she hurried off to claim her spot as anchor.

Sofia stretched her limbs, taking deep breaths to try to calm nerves so unsteady that they were making her nauseous all over again. To make matters worse, the sun was beginning to get to her, the heat of it blazing down on the track making her dizzy. _I have to concentrate._ She scolded herself into paying attention as her teammates ran, waiting for the baton to reach her. When it finally did, she was off like a shot, running at a speed she never knew her legs to be capable of. She burst through the ribbon far ahead of her opponent, tumbling to a stop in front of the cheering onlookers.

"Class 3 wins the morning relay. Next event is the sprint." The disembodied female voice called out above them as Grace hurried to check on Sofia, who hadn't moved since she won her race.

"Are you alright?" She asked, sliding to a stop beside her friend.

"I... I think so." Sofia squeaked out, trying to ignore the way the world spun around her. "Help me up?" She accepted Grace's outstretched hands, letting the larger girl pull her to her feet. Her stomach did an angry flip at the motion, and she moaned, slinging an arm around Grace's shoulder.

"Should we go see the nurse?" Sofia shook her head quickly, taking small steps toward the door with the blonde's assistance.

"Just... The bathroom." She hiccuped, holding her stomach for emphasis.

...

"I thought you said you were better now." Grace paced the floor of the girl's room, waiting for Sofia to finish being ill.

"I was. I think I just got too worked up." Sofia called back, wiping her mouth on a wad of toilet paper. "I should be fine to finish the day." When Grace tapped on the door, Sofia unlocked it to let her inside.

"I'm getting kind of worried about you. It's been two weeks, and I was only sick for a few days." She whispered, looking her friend over closely. "You've even lost some weight." Sofia frowned down at herself, wondering if it was true. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill out. *This was supposed to be a good day.* She sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to stand, and straightened her uniform.

"I'm already better. I promise." She managed a smile as she hurried past the other girl, anxious to put some distance between them before Grace could see through her act.

...

"The obstacle course will begin promptly after lunch. All participants report to the tents on the east side of the yard."

It was another event Sofia had a spot in, so she threw away her uneaten lunch and followed the directions.

She took up her spot on the track, turning her head to wish her opponent good luck. Her eyes grew wide with shock as she found herself face to face with none other than the new school janitor. Her mouth worked, but no sound came out as she floundered to find something to say to the man whose very presence made her heart flutter.

"Good luck." He beat her to the sentiment, nodding in her direction before focusing his attention ahead. _Why? Why is he here?_ Sofia's mind demanded as she tore her gaze away from him and prepared for the signal.

When the whistle blew, Sofia tapped that inner speed again, clearing the first hurdle with ease. It took all of her willpower not to check if the man was beside her as she jumped, and she gave herself a mental pat on the back as her feet hit the ground without an issue, though she suspected her racing pulse had more to do with her opponent than it did with the excursion. Next to her, the sound of his own feet touching ground reminded her not to slow down.

She sped on, easily flipping over the parallel bars before crawling through a series of hula hoops that had been duct taped to the black top.

As Sofia climbed out of the last circle and stood straight again, all of the blood rushed from her head. Her vision swam and everything turned red. She had the distinct sensation of floating, the last thing she would remember of the school day.

...

"You shouldn't have moved her." A man admonished, but Sofia didn't have the energy to open her eyes, despite her curiosity.

"I didn't move her, I caught her." The sound of the second man, the school janitor, soothed her mind. She didn't need to see him, she would recognize that gravelly baritone anywhere.

She felt herself being delicately lowered onto a surface that was both soft and rigid, and blinked her eyes open just long enough to register that she was being loaded onto some sort of vehicle.

"Someone should ride with her. Can you do it?" The first speaker again. There was a long pause before he got a reply.

"I-I... I'm working. I just started this job, I'd better not." She pouted, wanting this strange man to stay with her, even if she couldn't begin to explain why.

"I know I'm asking a lot, but it would really help me out." Sofia heard a sigh, and the sound of the doors closing. For a few quiet minutes, she was sure he'd refused, and she was alone in the ambulance.

A warm hand, wrapped in fabric despite the heat, brushed against her cheek, and her eyes fluttered open to see the handsome older man staring down at her, his expression so full of tenderness that it nearly made her heart stop beating altogether.

"So you're awake?" He smiled, an endearing, crooked grin that made him appear almost boyish, and Sofia tried to nod. "You really gave everyone a scare, you know." His palm still rested against her cheek, and she wished she had the nerve to snuggle against it, to take advantage of his kindness for even a moment. _I think I'm in love._ She realized with astonishment, stifling a gasp as she stared into the eyes of her mystery man, hypnotized by flecks of gold that sparkled like glitter in the sunlight streaming through the small window.

"Have we met before? Not yesterday, I mean... before that." She ventured, unable to shake the strange sensation that she'd somehow known him all her life, no matter how impossible she knew it to be. She regretted the question right away, because he retracted his hand and shifted his focus to staring silently out the window until their ride came to a stop and the doors opened, flooding the mobile room with harsh daylight.

...

At some point, she drifted off, with the janitor keeping speechless watch over the hospital bed they had switched her to. She meant to stay awake, to memorize the way his nimble fingers nervously twirled the pen he was holding while they waited for her parents to arrive, but the next time she woke, her mother had replaced him in the chair, and the golden-eyed stranger was nowhere to be found.

"My official opinion is that she fainted from anaemia. Her iron was very low when the EMTs checked it." A kindly old doctor was saying as Sofia forced her attention back to the present.

"But what could have caused that?" Margaret demanded, glancing over long enough to acknowledge that her daughter was awake. The doctor shock his head, frowning at a clip board in his hands.

"Honestly, I was hoping you could tell me. We don't seem to have any of your daughter's medical records on file, so I have very little to work with." Her mother stood from the wheeled chair, sending it spinning into the wall behind her.

"Are you kidding me? Sofia was born in this hospital. She's been coming here her entire life!" Margaret was outraged, and Sofia realized her mother was in no state to help the doctor get the information needed to treat her.

"AB negative." Sofia squeaked, her voice coming out as a hoarse grunt. Both adults went silent, turning to look at her. "My blood type... It's AB negative. I'm 162cm and nearly 8 stone." Her throat ached, and she was dying for water. The doctor scribbled the facts down at a frenzied pace, trying to record it all.

"Is that accurate?" He asked Margaret, turning the board so she could read over it.

"Everything except the blood type." She returned to her daughter's side, stroking some stubborn curls out of her face. Sofia shook her head adamantly.

"No, that's right. We just tested it in school." She insisted, allowing her eyes to slip shut again because the harsh florescent lighting was beginning to give her a headache.

"There must have been some mistake. I'm B+, and her father is O." Sofia furrowed her brow, trying to remember her genetics lessons properly.

"We can run it to be sure. Um, there are other blood tests I was hoping to send to the lab, too." He hesitated, and Sofia wondered why he didn't just run the labs already and be done with it. "I know your daughter is kind of young for this, but standard procedure when a woman faints from low iron is to run a pregnancy test."

"What?" Sofia demanded in unison with her mother, her eyes popping back open to stare at him in disbelief.

"Sofia hasn't even had her first period." Her mother was up again, pacing the floor of the small room.

"I've never even been kissed." Sofia added, her cheeks flaming at admitting such intimate details to a complete stranger.

Outside the curtained doorway, unseen to them, Cedric smacked the back of his head against the wall he was leaning on, able to overhear the entire conversation.

...

Sofia's mother left, and the hospital grew quiet as night fell outside. Cedric paced the corridor, trapped in a maze of his own thoughts. His plan was unraveling right before his eyes, and he never was very good at keeping himself together when things went wrong. That was one of the things he usually could rely on Sofia for, but he doubted she'd be any help in that area, given her current circumstances.

There was one thing that he kept coming back to, and that was how traumatic it would be for the girl in that room to learn she was pregnant, as she very well may be, without any recollection of the events that led to it, or knowledge of who the father of her child was. It seemed he was left with only one choice, then - restore Sofia's memories and risk her trying to return to Enchancia. _B_ _ut if she is with child, then that solves the problem, right? She wouldn't endanger her own baby..._ He reasoned, steeling his nerves to peek into her room.

Sofia slept soundly under her white blanket, with her copper hair fanned out around her head, looking every bit like a goddess in the pale glow of the apparatuses that surrounded her bed.

Without a sound, Cedric drew his wand from the deep side pocket of his work pants, pointing it at the sleeping princess and mouthing 'Memento omnium', the words that would return her memories. When nothing happened, he tapped his wand impatiently against the palm of his opposite hand and tried again, with the same outcome. He lost count of how many times he tried before she stirred, sending him scurrying for the safety of the hallway once more, eager to avoid any further encounters with this version of Sofia, especially after what she'd asked him in the ambulance.

What he really needed were answers to the questions now plaguing his thoughts, and to get those he would have to speak with Merlin. He couldn't bring himself to leave her, though, so he settled for taking back his post outside her room, deciding that everything else could wait until she was out of the hospital.


	8. Mamihlapinatapei

**Author' note:** I've had the first part of this chapter written out since waaayy back when this started, and it's been so hard to hold back on publishing it, because I really love it! Finally, I get to share it with everyone. :)

* * *

"Are you out there?" Sofia called softly into the darkness of her hospital room, hoping he would magically appear. Nothing happened, and she settled into her cot with a disappointed sigh.

"How did you know?" There was no doubt that it was him, she would never forget the way he sounded for the rest of her life. She smiled to herself, but didn't reply right away, unable to come up with a good way to explain that she had felt his presence without sounding like a lunatic.

"Won't you come in? I could use the company." Slowly, the curtain shifted away from the threshold, and his hair, shaggy and black with fascinating silver stripes at the front, came into view first. "Have you been there this entire time?"

"Not quite. I went and got myself some coffee." He held up the white styrofoam cup for emphasis as he took his first halting step into the room, tugging the fabric back into place behind him.

"Hm. Any good?" She asked, unable to think of any better way to continue the conversation, but wanting to keep the man near for as long as possible. He shook his head, tossing the cup into the bin next to the doorway.

"Brown sludge. Are you feeling better?" He crossed the room, reclaiming the wheeled chair and rolling it until he was sitting beside the top of her bed.

"Only a little." She confessed. His hand stretched toward her face, but he seemed to think better of it, retracting his arm before his fingers could make contact. Sofia tried not to pout over it too obviously. "I don't think they plan to let me leave until I agree to the tests."

"Why haven't you?" He questioned after an awkward pause. Sofia shifted to lay on her side, beckoning with her finger for him to come closer.

"I think... I'm afraid to." She confided with a whisper.

"You know, if you talk about what frightens you, it won't seem so bad anymore." The sweet crooked grin returned to his face as he reached out again, this time tangling his slender fingers through her thick curls. "Tell me your fears, little princess." There it was again, that tender reverence that drew her to him so completely.

In that moment, she felt like she hadn't a care in the world, save for a nagging certainty that he'd said this to her before. Instead, she was filled with an intense longing, mentally pleading with this complete stranger to close the gap between them, to press his lips against hers. The only thing keeping her from voicing this desire was the knowledge that it would make her sound insane, and he would most likely run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

Breaking the connection, he leaned back in his seat, running a hand through the silver silk of his bangs. "Is it needles? The trick is to look away." Sofia shook her head softly, quite positive she didn't possess a phobia of the sharp objects.

"Tell you what..." He brought his face close again, ensnaring her with those incredible eyes, which seemed to dance merrily as he spoke the words. "You do whatever you need to get yourself out of here, and I'll bring you a present on Monday... Provided I still have a job, that is."

Sofia's eyes opened wide as she recalled the fragment of conversation she'd heard while they were loading her into the back of the ambulance. _That's right. It's my fault that he suddenly left work._

"I'm sorry to have troubled you." She mumbled, trying in vain to disappear into the mattress.

"No, please... Trouble me, Sofia!" He surprised her with his outburst, not least of all because he'd called her by her name. "By the gods, if I had more to offer you than a sympathetic ear, I would." He trailed off as Sofia's deja vu returned, ducking his head to avoid her curious gaze.

"You said 'Sofia'." She pointed out, catching him off guard, if his reaction was any indication. "How did you know that?"

"Oh, that?" He let out a low, nervous chuckle, gesturing toward the wall. "It's on some paperwork by the door. I hope you're not angry." There was something off about the admission, but Sofia couldn't figure out exactly what.

"That's not fair. You know my name, but I don't know yours." They sat quietly until she was beginning to think he wouldn't tell her.

"It's Cedric." He offered after several minutes. Sofia barely stifled a fit of giggles. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, it's just a strange name is all." She waved her hands in front of her face apologetically, trying to calm herself.

"Oh, yeah... What the hell kind of name is Sofia? It sounds like somebody's grandmother." He retorted, her laughter starting all over again as he glared at her indignantly. His annoyance softened, and he soon joined in.

"You little cheat... You've gone and changed the subject on me." He accused once they calmed down. Sofia shrugged, feeling so much better after talking with him that she didn't really feel the need to express her worries at the moment. "Oh, no... Out with it."

"Do you believe in instinct, Cedric?" His breath caught noticeably, and he swallowed hard, training his eyes on the curtain across from them.

"I do. Some people's can be fairly terrifying in accuracy." Sofia mulled over his cryptic response, but ultimately decided to continue.

"I _know_ that my parents really are my parents, just as I know that... Other thing can't be true." She paused to bite into her lip, pressing herself to go on despite how bizarre it was going to sound. "But, there's this hidden part of me that is equally sure these tests will turn my entire world upside down. Do you know what I mean?"

"I'm beginning to."

...

It was after dawn, and outside the curtain, the hospital was springing to life as Cedric watched Sofia sleep in the dim light, the only sound in the small room coming from the occasional small chirps of her equipment.

It seemed that even without her memories of him, the princess was still adept at manipulating his emotions, and loving her was just as inevitable as it had always been. No matter how much he reminded himself that this Sofia didn't return his feelings and it would be best to steer clear of her altogether, all he had wanted to do while they spent the wee hours of the night talking was to lean forward and claim her mouth with his, to climb into the bed and wrap her up in his arms, and make false promises that everything would somehow be okay.

 _'You've damned the entire kingdom.'_ He recalled the accusation, the one King Roland had hurled in his tower not long ago, as his eyes traced the outline of Sofia's soft plump lips. _It seems I've damned the two of us, as well._

The ramifications of his actions became painfully clear in the last few hours. Her memories may all be lies, but they were still hers. She had a family she loved, friends, and hobbies. She could tell stories of the time she skinned her knee while the man she thought was her father taught her to ride a bike, or how scared she'd been on her first ever sleep over. These things were important to this girl, a part of who she was. Cedric had appeared in her life just as the fragile veil of reality threatened to be lifted, and he would be powerless, quite literally, to do anything but sit back and watch while her entire world fell apart. _Every awful thing you're about to endure... They're all my fault._

A knock at the door caught his attention, and the curtain slid aside to reveal a young doctor with sandy brown hair. He stopped in his tracks, surprised to find anyone but the patient in the room.

"Hello. Are you a relative of Sofia's?" He inquired, holding a hand out to shake Cedric's.

"Uh... No, no, I'm the one who rode here with her. I just wanted to see if she was alright." He was quick to explain away his presence, grateful to have even this tenuous excuse.

"I think she'll pull through." The doctor reassured him, smiling politely. "But if you're not a relative, I'll have to ask you to step out while I talk to her."

"Of course." Cedric replied, standing to leave. Beside him, Sofia stirred, her sleep disturbed by the sounds of their conversation.

"Cedric?" She croaked out, lifting herself until she was sitting. "Will you come back to visit me later?" She asked, reaching out to grab his hand, though he dodged her grasp. He looked to the doctor to see if it would be okay, and the man nodded.

"It's just a matter of patient privacy, he can come right back, if you want." Sofia grinned up at him, more excited than she probably should have been to have the strange man visiting.

"Please?" She prodded, eyes the colour of a cloudless sky imploring him to agree.

"We'll see." He stuffed his hands into his the pockets of his rough work uniform, missing the shield his robe provided, and left the princess in the care of her doctor, sulking a bit at the arbitrary rules that forced him to leave even though he'd been present for plenty of her physician appointments when she was growing up, and no one had ever taken issue with it before.

Leaning against the wall outside, he listened with forced indifference as she consented to their testing. To be honest, he wasn't sure if she should or shouldn't have it done, since either path had the chance to cause major problems for her.

He was just preparing to return to Sofia's side, after hearing the doctor say goodbye to her, when he caught sight of her 'mother' scrambling to the room. With a sigh, he chose to get another cup of that horrible coffee instead.

From the time he returned onward, there were no good chances to get back to her, or even hang out close enough to hear what was being discussed by the constant influx of medical personnel, along with her parents. Occasionally, the conversation would get surprisingly heated, but he was still too far away to make out what the arguments were about, and he was reluctant to make assumptions. The flurry of activity didn't die down until close to dinner time.

...

"Hey." He mumbled, ducking his head into the room to see if she was up for yet another visitor. She smiled weakly, but her red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes told him all he needed to know about how her day was going so far as he approached the bed, wheeling a small cart over and placing a vending machine sandwich on top of it. Truthfully, he'd been kind of proud of himself for figuring out how to get food from the bulky contraption, but he didn't trouble her with the tale.

Instead, he sat down beside her, tugging apart the sturdy packaging on his own sandwich and bringing it to his lips. "I'm not hungry." Sofia scooted the cart away from herself, then flipped onto her side, facing away from him. Cedric frowned, setting his food aside to follow after.

"What's that about?" He inquired, crouching so his face was close to hers. New tears threatened to spill, just visible in the corners of her eyes. "If you don't get your strength up, you'll be stuck here another night."

She squeezed her eyes shut to block him out, and Cedric scratched the back of his head, trying to think up a new approach.

"Hey... Because of you, I hung around here all day. You're really not even going to speak to me?" Still nothing, and he was getting frustrated. If the old Sofia behaved this way, which she did once in a great while, he had about fifty good tactics for snapping her out of it. He had no idea how to handle this girl's moods, though. "Be that way. Stay in the damn hospital forever, for all I care." He retrieved their food and stormed out of the room, unwilling to so much as glance in her direction again.


	9. Waldeinsamkeit

**Author's note:** I didn't forget you guys! This chapter just took a while because I had to shuffle some parts that were cut from last chapter into here, and there were sections of a later chapter that made more sense here, and well... It was a whole deal. I think we're about due for some pre-plan flashbacks, though I don't know if that will be next chapter or just coming up soon.

Also, shameless plug for Isolation: I accidentally posted the newest chapter tonight without making sure the 24 hours had passed, so if anyone who's reading that is also reading this, chapter 4 is out but the updates for it are broken.

* * *

 _Her mother was sitting beside her, doing her best to pretend she was occupied with a crossword puzzle, as Sofia sipped a small cup of apple juice carefully, reluctant to upset her stomach again. There had been little by way of conversation since she had her blood draw, and she was sure it was due to Margaret being just as nervous about the results as she was._

 _It took over an hour for the doctor to return, offering apologies and an explanation that their lab was backed up at the moment. After some friendly chatter, his smile faded, and he sat down on the only other chair in the room, looking Sofia over seriously._

 _"I have the notes from the doctor who admitted you, and I have to ask you some questions." He began, speaking softly to her, like he was trying not to frighten a wild animal. "You told him you've never even kissed a boy. If that wasn't the truth, I really need you to be honest with me now." Sofia shook her head, unable to comprehend why he was asking her about this embarrassing topic again._

 _"I really haven't." She insisted as firmly as possible, looking to her mother for help convincing him._

 _"Sofia, I need to ask you this: Do you feel safe at home?" This was getting scary, and all she wanted was for him to leave. She opened her mouth to tell him as much, but wasn't given the chance._

 _"What is all this about?" Margaret demanded, jumping to her feet. The man sighed, shifting his gaze back and forth between mother and daughter._

 _"The pregnancy test came back positive." He announced, handing a sheet of paper to the woman so she could see the results for herself. "We also confirmed Sofia's claims about her blood type. There's no way that she's your husband's daughter."_

 _"Everything you're saying is impossible!" Sofia fumed, unable to hold in the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her._

 _"A social worker will be by after lunchtime to talk to Sofia. It's standard procedure." He excused himself, completely ignoring Sofia's outburst._

Sofia was fed up with this hospital and their 'standard procedures'. The doctors hid behind the term, as if it somehow justified ruining her life. Because of them, her parents were being suspected of things too horrible to even dedicate thought to, and her dad was now convinced Sofia belonged to someone else. As bad as both of those things were, Sofia could hardly concentrate on them, considering the _other news_.

And then, there was _him_. She shifted her focus to the man that sat beside her bed, doing the same crossword puzzle her mother had abandoned earlier in the day, waiting quietly for her to acknowledge his existence. He'd stormed out of her room earlier, only to return minutes later and set the sandwich he'd brought back on the table, where it still sat untouched. It seemed he wouldn't be pushed away as easily as she'd thought. He glanced up, meeting her eyes, and Sofia did her best to pretend she'd merely been reading a sign on the wall behind him, though she was fairly certain he could see the way she blushed over being caught staring.

"Thank you." She whispered, catching his eye again. "For not leaving me alone here, I mean."

"So, she speaks." Cedric muttered softly. Sofia nodded, feeling bad for not breaching the stillness earlier. "Well, don't. You're distracting me. I'm trying to think of a five-lettered noun for 'an insolent, petulant girl'." Sofia frowned to herself, wondering if she knew such a word. Her mind hit upon an answer, and she let out an indignant huff.

"You mean 'Sofia'? You're being sarcastic, now?" Her annoyance faded away when he chuckled, bobbing his head to confirm her suspicions. "I'm sorry I was rude, earlier. It's just been a very rough day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He set the paper and pen aside on the cart to signal that she had his full attention, but Sofia shook her head.

Even if she wanted to, he was the very last person in all the world she could tell about _that_. How could she? She'd gone to sleep the night, or rather early morning, before harboring childish fantasies that she might somehow have a future with a grown man she'd only just met. If he knew what she found out today, he'd want nothing to do with her. Her parents' marriage, her normal life, her childhood... In the blink of an eye, every facet of her life had been destroyed. She saw no good reason to drag the handsome stranger, with his boyish charm and unexpectedly sweet nature, into her mess.

"What I said to you before was out of line. I was just frustrated." He apologized, his eyes sweeping over her in search of something, though she wasn't quite certain what it could be.

"It's fine. I mean, you don't have to care... We hardly know each other." She mumbled, her mind still on her other troubles.

"True." He sat forward in his chair, studying her again. Though she preferred the times when his eyes smiled softly at her, she had to admit that these intense gazes, where they flickered with an emotion completely foreign to her, were also compelling. "You remind me of a girl I used to know, a very long time ago. Except that I was much better at cheering her up."

"Did you love her?" Sofia asked, though she was reasonably certain she didn't want to know the answer.

He leaned back, letting his head drop over the back of the seat, and she traced the line of his jaw down his neck and to the bit of collarbone visible above the neckline of his work clothes. _He hasn't been home to change._ It finally dawned on her during the long lull in conversation. _He really has been here the whole time._

"More than anything." The words stung, though she told herself that they shouldn't.

"What happened?" She pressed against her better judgement.

"Tell me why your upset, first." He bargained, shuffling himself upright again.

"I won't." Sofia refused, reaching across the wheeled cart to steal the twice-neglected puzzle, eager for a distraction.

"Then we'll both guard our secrets." Cedric conceded, shrugging his shoulders. "You really should eat."

...

Cedric watched Sofia sleep, debating between staying by her side and returning to Merlin's flat. He was hesitant to leave her alone in the hospital, but he needed answers, the sort that could only come from his long time friend. Reluctantly, he left her room, using signs to find his way to the front desk.

"I need to hire a carriage." He informed a receptionist, who seemed rather annoyed by his request. She stared at him for a long minute before letting out a sigh.

"If you need a cab, there are phones and a list of numbers on the wall over there." She pointed, then returned to her computer. Cedric eyed the row of metal boxes warily, but ultimately concluded that the woman would be no further help.

It wasn't difficult to deduce that the numbers on the wall matched the ones on the 'phone', but try as he might, he couldn't get the things to work.

"What is it, now?" She groaned with annoyance when he returned.

"I pressed the numbers, but nothing's happening." He explained impatiently.

"Did you put a coin in?" Cedric shook his head, and the woman rolled her eyes at him. "They're pay phones. You have to put a coin in."

"I don't have any coins, only this paper money." He pulled a bill out of his pocket for emphasis, but she didn't bother to look at it.

"Coin machines are next to the vending machines." She waved him away.

"Can't you just hire a... 'cab' for me?" He demanded, stifling a groan as she shook her head again. He could clearly see that she had her own phone right next to her on the desk. Grumbling, he stomped off in the direction of the vending machines, where he traded his paper money for several silver coins.

...

It was late when he arrived at Merlin's flat, but he was determined to talk to the older sorcerer, so he turned the key and marched in, finding his friend asleep on the pull-out sofa.

"Merlin, wake up." He shook the man's shoulder, interrupting his slumber.

"Cedric... Where have you been? I was starting to get worried about you." Cedric nearly explained the entire situation, but stopped himself.

"It's a long story." He replied instead. "Do you know why my wand isn't working?" Cedric produced the useless tool from one of his deep pockets, holding it out to Merlin for inspection.

"I tried to warn you, you know. Magic doesn't exist in this time." Cedric's eyes grew wide as the implications settled in. Without magic, he couldn't restore Sofia's memories. Not only that, but...

"How the devil are we supposed to return?" He fretted, but Merlin chuckled, patting his arm reassuringly. He stood and crossed the room, digging through a chest until he found what he was seeking. Returning, he held up a bottle of swirling, iridescent blue gel.

"With this. You know what it is, don't you?" Cedric nodded solemnly, unable to tear his gaze from the object.

"Stolen magic." He practically whispered, finally shooting an astounded glance at Merlin.

"Don't look so distressed. I promise, the sorcerer this came from earned his punishment." Merlin swished the liquid around, frowning at the bottle. "Unfortunately, I had to use quite a bit to get Sofia her false life. There's only enough to get us back, and not even that if you wait too much longer."

"You mean, because she's... You knew?" Cedric stood, trying to process this new information. "You knew and you didn't say anything?" Merlin held his hands up defensively, then patted the mattress for Cedric to sit back down.

"I told you, I was trying to, but you were being so damned stubborn. I couldn't get you to sit still and listen for even a moment." Merlin accused, and Cedric searched his memory, hitting upon the times he was too busy charging blindly ahead to stop and listen to his elder. Something else occurred to him, too.

"I'm such an idiot! Sofia, that's why she was so upset earlier." He ran a hand down his face, letting out a deep groan. "She's in the hospital, they must have run the test. Why didn't she say as much?" He jumped back up, making a break for the door.

"Cedric, do you really intend to run off wildly again? Sofia's condition won't change, you know, but there's more we should discuss..." Cedric stopped in his tracks, deciding it would be prudent to hear the man out properly. "For instance, whoever the child's father is. I'm sure you didn't intend to separate them, but he must be worried sick, and I've already explained that I can't return to the exact same time, which means Sofia will still have been missing by the time we get back. What do you plan to do about that?"

Cedric's face flushed, and he found himself unable to meet the old man's eyes. "He is." Was all he could muster. "Worried sick, I mean."

Merlin's aged features registered his shock perfectly as he sank back onto the thin mattress, and Cedric steeled himself for what he knew was coming.

"I-I need you to tell me that I'm... misunderstanding things." He muttered, running his hands through his long silver beard. "Tell me that you are not the... That your relationship with Sofia is purely professional."

"It isn't." He knew the risks, the hell he could face back in Enchancia when everything was said and done. He was just too tired of lying to care anymore.

"Setting aside your age _and_ station, you are her Master Sorcerer! What you're implying is strictly forbidden on every. single. level." Merlin's voice rose, and Cedric shut his eyes, trying to keep his cool. "Do you want it to be your magic swirling around in that bottle next? Or Sofia's?"

"Would you do that to me, old friend?" He quizzed, opening his eyes again to peer at the other sorcerer. "Could you bring yourself to do that to her?"

"Of course not!" He spat out, back on his feet with a quickness that was surprising given his age. "I'm not the only one who can cast such a spell, and you know that. You've had your run-ins with the high council before."

"Then what do you suggest I do? Not all of us can just alter time." Merlin scratched the spot on his head where his hat usually rested, pondering these words.

"Time... That's it. We go back to before and-" Cedric was not even willing to entertain that train of thought.

"Absolutely not! That's not a... a botched spell or a slight misstep. That's a child you're talking about." Merlin froze, looking every bit as horrified as Cedric felt.

"You're right. Of course, that would be unthinkable." He crossed the room and rested an apologetic hand on Cedric's shoulder. "Cedric, what could you have possibly been thinking?"

"I love her." He admitted it as plainly as possible, unable to offer any other explanation. "I love her in ways I never believed myself to be capable of."


End file.
